Reader Polls

Corey Maggete

The Bobcats are back and here’s a sentence that will probably never be written again.

It’s the end of December and the Charlotte Bobcats haven’t lost a game this season.

Yep, the Cats took care of of the visiting Milwaukee Bucks last night in their home opener and now stand undefeated. We can’t count on too many wins this year, so let’s savor this one. The Bobcats are in a really awkward stage right now. They have a bunch of young guys that may or may not be professional basketball players. None are stars. Yet, those of us that tuned in or attended their first game of the 2011 season saw an energetic bunch overtake a much more talented and experienced group of players.

It was great to read how Coach Paul Silas was so casual with the press before the game, letting them know that “Stephen Jackson is going to try to kill us…” Silas had an inexperienced roster that was supposed to face the likes of Brandon Jennings, Andrew Bogut, and Stephen Jackson on opening night. It’s clear that the Bucks are probably going to be pretty good this year. They may not be a contender, but they’ll make the Playoffs. They’ll likely advance into the second-round. Surely, Scott Skiles will get this group in order and they’ll operate like a well-tuned machine. Luckily, the Bobcats caught them before the machine could get running.

Here are the some of the things I noticed in last night’s introduction to the 2011-12 Bobcats:

Kemba Walker could contend for Rookie of the Year. He’s going to be good. Can he be great?

Byron Mullens knocked down a couple of outside shots. What can he do in the paint?

DJ Augustin was playing like a real point guard. Nice to see his progress continue under Silas.

Gana Diop found a way to contribute – or Silas found a way to make him somewhat useful.

Boris Diaw is going to do a lot to help the team and that might help him land a big contract this summer.

Nice touch by the club to find courtside seats for Cam Newton (the most popular guy in town).

Gerald Henderson looks healthy and ready to be a big part of the team.

Corey Maggete isn’t so bad, after all. I might not rush out to buy his jersey, but he’s alright.